


Shiro's Omega

by luvcmpunk314



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Omega, Lactation Kink, M/M, Male Lactation, Omega Keith (Voltron), Omega Verse, SHEITH - Freeform, Sheith Week Unlimited, Sheith Week Unlimited 2017, sheith week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-20 17:32:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9502556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvcmpunk314/pseuds/luvcmpunk314
Summary: Keith, the Red Paladin for Team Voltron, has just learned that he is part Galra. What he doesn't know, is that he's also an omega. His body is about to go through some very interesting changes and he'll need help to get through it. His friend and team leader, Shiro, volunteers to help him. But will the experience destroy the friendship between the Red and Black Paladins, or bring them closer than ever before?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic for the Voltron LD universe, written for Sheith Week Unlimited. Un-beta'd, but self-edited as carefully as possible. Takes place in the time when the paladin's return from their separate missions and are waiting for Slav to build the gravity generator.

Keith wiped the sweat off his brow. He felt different. Flushed, his chest achy and tight. Maybe he was coming down with something. He raised his bayard, determined to fight through whatever it was. They were training, and as a paladin of Voltron, he needed to sharpen his skills for their upcoming attack on Zarkon. Kolivan, a Galra and member of the Blade of Marmora, stepped up to challenge him next.

Kolivan looked at him with a frown. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed a hand over his sore chest. “Might be coming down with something.” He firmed his grip on his bayard. “But I can still fight.”

Kolivan’s eyes widened before he stepped back. “No. I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to be so close to you right now.” His gaze flicked to Shiro.

“Can Galra even catch human viruses?”

“No. But what afflicts you isn’t from your human side. It’s the part of you that is Galra.”

Keith lowered his weapon, his jaw immediately going hard. He was still adjusting to the fact that a part of him was alien. He didn’t want to think about any Galra illnesses he might have coursing through his body. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”

Kolivan tried to stop him. “Wait, you need to know –.”

Keith cut him off. “I’m not interested.”

 _Shiro watched Keith go_. He’d been even pricklier than usual after finding out he was a part of the alien race they were fighting. Since everyone had already had at least one turn sparring, Shiro called a halt for the day. Everyone trooped out, the paladins going one way, Kolivan another. Shiro paused for a moment then decided to follow Kolivan. He called out to him when the others were out of hearing range. “Kolivan. Do I need to know what’s going on with Keith? Maybe there’s something I can do to help.”

Kolivan stopped and turned to face him. He seemed to find Shiro’s comments funny, if the slight twitch to his lips was any indication. “Ah, yes. It is important that you know.”

“Know what?”

“The Red Paladin is an omega.”

“A what?”

“An omega,” Kolivan repeated. “It’s why he’s so small. Even if he were a full blooded Galra, he would still be smaller than most of us. Omegas can be any gender in our race. Their personalities and abilities are just as varied as anyone else’s but their bodies are specifically built for breeding. Keith has bonded with an alpha, and that unlocked some aspects of his omega nature.”

“An alpha?” Shiro’s eyes narrowed as he jumped to the logical conclusion. “You?”

“No. Although I do find him beautiful, his bond isn’t with me. You’re the alpha he’s bonded with.”

Shiro reared back in shock. “I might have a Galra arm, but I’m not Galra. How can I be an alpha?”

“One does not need to be of my race to be an alpha. In your circle, you are the leader. People look to you and follow your commands. It is why the Black Lion chose you, is it not? Those are alpha traits. And with your bond, it was only natural Keith’s omega nature would manifest.”

“What do you mean bond? We’re friends.” He heard Keith’s words in his head. _You're like a brother to me.  
_

Kolivan’s lips twitched again. “Humans.” He said it as if that were funny. “You are friends. But you’re also something more. It shimmers in the air between you. Only a fool would miss it.”

Ignoring the slight insult, Shiro straightened his spine, ready to help his friend. “What’s wrong with him? And what can I do to care for him?”

“Keith is going into heat.”

Shiro blinked. He knew animals like cats and dogs went into heat. But he’d never heard of that for humans. Then he stupidly reminded himself the Galra weren’t human.

“His chest hurts because his body is preparing to lactate. He’ll need to be milked.”

Shiro’s brain sloshed at that. “Like a cow?”

“No. By your mouth. Nothing else will sate him. He’ll also need sexual relief with something inside him.”

Those words brought an image up in Shiro’s head. One he only allowed himself to picture when he was alone in his quarters. Him on top of Keith, his hips between Keith’s spread legs as Shiro thrust inside him. He forced the image away. Keith was his friend. It was wrong to picture him like that. “You’re making this up.”

“I’m not. It is the nature of a Galra Omega. You can ask Princess Allura for confirmation if you don’t believe me.”

Shiro shook his head. Allura was tetchy around Keith these days. He didn’t think she’d be too keen on answering any questions about his recently discovered Galra blood. Besides, he’d be too embarrassed to bring this omega business up with her anyway. “So I’ll need to milk him-” brain slosh “-and sexually satisfy him. When? And for how long?”

Kolivan thought for a moment. “For three of your earth nights. The heats fade during the day, allowing omegas to continue to function in their normal lives. The closer you two become, the more you’ll feel his heat’s pull. You’ll know when it’s time.”

“And what happens if I don’t …” Shiro had to force himself to get the words out. “If I don’t milk him?”

“Keith will be in physical pain,” Kolivan said with a frown. “And depending on the strength of your bond, you will experience unrelenting physical desire. You’ll also be able to feel an echo of his pain, just as you will his heat.”

Shiro stood there stunned. When he’d started his day, he’d never considered this might be a conversation he’d be having near the end of it.

“You are a lucky man, Shirogane,” Kolivan continued. “An omega in heat is a beautiful sight. I wouldn’t mind seeing Keith in the throes of it myself.”

Shiro narrowed his gaze. “Don’t talk about him like that.”

Kolivan responded with a knowing chuckle. “As you wish, Alpha Shiro.”

He turned and walked away, leaving Shiro there on his own.

***

At dinner, Shiro noticed that Keith looked miserable. He also noticed that he couldn’t stop looking at his friend. His eyes returned to Keith again and again. Shiro had the urge to be near him. To ask if he was all right, to bring him food, to touch him. It was crazy. When Shiro caught Kolivan giving him a smug grin, he tried to pull back on the strange, new impulses. He needed to focus on what he was going to tell Keith. His friend had no idea what was going on with his body and he deserved to know.Unfortunately, for the first time that he could recall, Shiro couldn’t think of the right thing to say. He ended up letting Keith go without bringing it up.

Later on, Shiro was in his bunk, contemplating going to Keith, when he felt his presence out in the hallway. He didn’t stop to think how strange that was before he hopped off the bed. The door opened with a soft hiss and Shiro stepped into the hall. “Keith, wait,” he called out.

Keith half turned to look at him. “Is this an emergency, Shiro? I was on my way to take a cold shower to cool off.”

“Yeah, it sort of is,” Shiro said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Come in here so we can talk.”

Keith approached him with some wariness. “That might not be a good idea. If I’m getting sick, I don’t want you to catch it.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Shiro said with a nervous laugh.

The door shut behind Keith and he stood there looking at Shiro expectantly.

“You know Kolivan said what was bothering you was from your Galra side?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I asked him what it was.” Keith’s eyebrows started to lower in a frown and Shiro rushed on. “Not because I thought there might be something dangerous about you, but because I wanted to help you if I could.”

Keith relaxed a little. “So, what is it? Am I going to turn purple and sprout hair on my face?”

“Not that I know of. Apparently, you’re an omega.”

Keith’s expression didn’t change. He clearly didn’t know what that meant any more than Shiro had. “What’s an omega?”

Shiro took a deep breath and gave a quick, bare bones run-down of everything Kolivan had told him about omegas.

Now Keith’s expression changed, morphing from confusion to disgust to resigned acceptance. “That’s why...” He brought a hand up to the general vicinity of his chest before quickly dropping it.

Shiro clenched his teeth together. Since his talk with Kolivan, the idea of Keith’s nipples leaking milk had ceased to make his brain slosh. Instead, it made him hard. “Yes.” He cleared his throat. “I could help you. In fact, I probably should since I’m the one that caused this.”

Keith looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Your bond with me is what triggered the change. I explained to Kolivan that we’re just friends, but I guess that doesn’t matter. I’m a leader – an alpha apparently – and our closeness set it off. Keith stared at him and Shiro wished he knew what he was thinking. The two of them were close, probably closer than anyone else on the ship, but Keith was so guarded that even for Shiro, he was hard to read sometimes. Shiro repeated his offer. “I could do it for you. Unless you want to get one of the others. Or maybe we can ask Pidge if there’s something we can do to prevent it from happening.”

Keith shook his head. “No way. I don’t even like it when she tinkers with Red, so I definitely don’t want any modifications to my body. And as for the others, I don’t want them to know about this.”

There were no other options. Shiro held his breath, desperately hoping Keith would take him up on his offer. It was quiet for several ticks before Keith spoke again.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I know I’ve saved your life a few times, but this seems like a lot to ask in exchange.”

“I don’t mind. It’s just something that has to be done. And it doesn’t have to be weird or even sexual if we look at it as simply meeting a biological need.” He tried to lighten the mood. “If you were bitten by a poisonous space snake I’d suck the poison out for you.”

Keith smiled a little. “That’s a terrible analogy, Takashi. But you’re right. It has to be done.”

“Okay,” Shiro said with a firm nod. “Apparently, you’ll feel it when your heat finally starts. Come here when it does.”

Keith agreed with a nod of his own, then left the room.

***

Keith stood under the spray in the shower. The water was cool and soft, falling like rain on his heated skin. Words slid through his mind as he stood there with his face upturned, none of them landing long enough to form full thoughts. _Omega. Milk. Sexual release_. As long as he stayed under the water he didn’t really have to think. But as soon as he turned the water off, the thoughts returned.

He was part Galra. He was also an omega. He was going into heat, and Shiro was going to help him by sucking milk from his chest. Keith wanted to be mind-boggled over it, but after weeks of flying a robotic lion around space to fight aliens, he doubted there was anything that could surprise him. Keith dried off, wrapped himself in the red robe that had been provided in the Red Paladin’s quarters and returned to his room.

Accepting the change to his body was relatively easy. But what disturbed him was the part with Shiro. First, because he didn’t like being dependent on anyone. Working on team Voltron had helped Keith get past some of his loner tendencies. After all, they had to work together to form Voltron. But this was much more personal. He needed this for himself, not as part of a larger group fighting off an alien overlord. Second, he would have to be close to Shiro. Physically close. They’d hugged before taking off on their separate missions, but this was different. Shiro would have his mouth on him. And might have to do more.

Keith didn’t know how he felt about that. Anxious for sure. He’d never … Intimacy wasn’t a thing that he sought out. And Shiro was someone that he’d looked up to for so long. _You're like a brother to me_. He’d meant it when he said that. Maybe there was more he wanted to say but unlike Shiro, words didn’t come easy to him. Emotions were even harder. When Keith took his robe off to go to bed, he noticed that his chest was wet again, and it wasn’t from the shower. His nipples were damp and had darkened in color. Keith swallowed hard. No matter how he felt about it, his heat was coming.

***

Shiro lay back in bed. It had been a long, exhausting day. While Slav was working on the gravity generator, they’d flown a short mission to help a planet of cherub type people regain access to their water source. The Galra had redirected the water’s flow for their own purposes while they’d been stationed there and left without restoring it to its natural state. Throughout the day, he’d felt Keith’s heat rising. He knew it would be here tonight. That knowledge left Shiro on edge, and things had been tense between him and Keith as a result.

Needing to distract himself from the anticipation of waiting, Shiro rolled off the bed, ready to do some push-ups. Before he could drop to the floor, however, a feeling – a knowing – washed through him in waves. His fingers, both human and Galra, tingled with the urge to run them over Keith’s skin. Keith was in heat.

Shiro stared at the door. He’d told Keith to come here, where they could be alone. He waited, hands clenching, body tense from holding himself back to go and seek him out. Finally, the door slid open and Keith was there. Keith came into the room, eyes lowered and arms crossed over his chest.

“It’s started,” he said without looking at Shiro. Keith tugged his shirt off and dropped it on the floor.

Shiro saw that he’d wrapped bandages around his chest as a way to keep his wet nipples from showing through his shirt. He started roughly tugging the bandages off, but Shiro went over and stopped him. “Let me.”

 _Keith held his arms out to his sides_. As Shiro gently unwound the bandages, Keith’s eyes bounced everywhere, refusing to land on or anywhere near Shiro. He knew what Shiro would see. Swollen chest. Red, stiff nipples, damp with milk. Skin flushed with heat. It was the most embarrassing thing he’d ever experienced in his life. Keith thought he heard a soft groan, but when he looked up, his friend’s face was as stoic as ever.

Shiro backed up and sat on the end of the bed, tossing the bandages behind him. “I think the most comfortable way for us to do this is for you to straddle my lap.”

His shoulders set with determination, Keith went forward and set one knee on the bed next to Shiro’s hip. Then he brought the other leg up, straddling Shiro as he’d suggested. He stayed up on his knees so that his chest was level with Shiro’s face. Shiro grasped his hands. Keith thought he felt a thumb stroke over his leather covered palm just before his hands were placed on Shiro’s wide shoulders.

“For balance.”

Keith nodded his head in a quick jerk. “Right. Balance.”

“Are you ready?”

Keith sucked in a deep breath. Were they really going to do this? It was crazy and they were friends, but he ached. And if this was the only thing that would stop it, Keith didn’t have a choice. His gaze fixed on a spot on the wall behind Shiro’s head, Keith nodded.

With permission granted, Shiro leaned forward and licked at Keith’s left nipple, then the other, tasting them both. A shiver trembled in Keith’s belly at the feel of Shiro’s tongue, but he kept the reaction to himself. It was harder to hide his reaction when Shiro started to suck. An immediate feeling of relief washed through Keith and his fingers clenched on Shiro’s shoulders. It felt amazing. The nipple Shiro drank from was cool and soothed, the itchy, tight feeling that previously plagued Keith drifting away as his milk was suckled. Shiro did the best he could to help the other nipple as well, pulling and tugging on it, so that milk trickled down his hand. A noise came from Shiro, the groan unmistakable this time. Keith felt the vibration of it against his skin. He wondered if Shiro might actually be enjoying this, but his brain shied away from looking at that too closely.

Besides, he had his own surprising enjoyment to worry about. He felt each suck on his nipple as a different kind of heat, a pleasurable one that shimmered down his skin to his cock. And no matter what he tried to think of to stave off an erection, he was getting hard. He tried to move his hips back, to keep Shiro from feeling it, but Shiro quickly wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him forward again. Keith gasped as his erection was pressed to Shiro’s torso.

“It’s okay, just do what comes natural,” Shiro whispered.

Keith bit his lip. Natural? What came natural was to roll his hips, seeking friction for his pulsing shaft. He tentatively did so once, then again, rubbing his cock against the warm muscle of Shiro’s chest. Shiro didn’t seem to mind so Keith kept going. Hands clenched tight on Shiro’s shoulders, Keith thrust his hips forward, again and again, the heat in his skin climbing with each press of his cock against Shiro’s strong chest.

When Shiro switched to sucking the other nipple, the heat climbed even further. Something else happened too. He clenched his cheeks reflexively as an unfamiliar urge came over him. He wanted to feel something inside him. The urge became so strong that it distracted him from the relief of Shiro’s mouth on his nipples. Not knowing what to do, he shifted his hips side to side, trying to get back to that place of comfort.

 _Shiro noticed that Keith’s body had lost its smooth roll_. Now he was wriggling restlessly. He knew what that meant, and what needed to be done, but he didn’t want to make any assumptions about what Keith would allow. He forced his mouth away from the sweetness of Keith’s nipples. “Is something wrong?”

For the first time, Keith fully looked at him. His pale skin was flushed pink with arousal, lips red from biting them. His eyes were heavy-lidded, only a glimmer of their smoky blue visible to Shiro. “I need…” he trailed off. Swallowed. Started again. “I need something inside me.”

Shiro traced his fingers down Keith’s crack. “Here?”

Keith’s jaw tightened. He nodded silently.

“Do you want me to help you there too? Just my hand,” Shiro was quick to reassure. He tried to continue in a normal tone, but his voice came out low and thick with desire. “I could finger you.” They stared at each other. Neither of them would say it, but it was glaringly obvious by now this was more than Shiro simply helping Keith.

“Yes.” Keith looked away and cleared his throat. “That’s fine.”

Placing a hand on Keith’s hip, he tugged him down until his weight rested on Shiro’s lap. There was no hiding the erection Shiro was sporting once their bodies came into contact. Keith’s eyes shot back to his in surprise. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” There was nothing Shiro could say without revealing how turned on he was by this, by Keith. “I’m sorry,” he finished lamely. Slipping a hand into Keith’s shorts, he rubbed a finger over Keith’s entrance, feeling the soft puckered skin. Then he slowly pushed inside. Shiro groaned at what he found. Keith was silky wet. And hot. So hot his finger warmed as though he’d activated the tech in his hand.

Keith pressed his face into Shiro’s neck, muffling a moan against his skin. Shiro rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. “It’s okay. You’re just doing what your body needs. Don’t…” Shiro had to pause as a wave of arousal rolled through him. “Don’t be embarrassed.” He moved his finger again, and Keith’s hips jerked forward. Shiro closed his eyes, holding back the groan that wanted to escape when Keith’s length rubbed against his. His heart pounding, shoulders heaving from his racing breaths, Shiro promised himself they would talk and he would come clean before they did this again. “Do what you need to do.”

Keith muffled another moan, then started moving, grinding and thrusting against him. Shiro slid his other hand into the black hair curling at Keith’s nape, gently tugging his head back. Keith arched for him and Shiro bent his head so he could resume sucking Keith’s nipples while he fingered him.

 _Keith tried to rein it in_. Tried to remind himself that this was clinical and biological. That Shiro was his friend, not his lover. Tried to stop making an absolute wanton spectacle of himself. But he couldn’t. Pleasure spiraled through him, making him gasp and moan. He rocked his hips forward to grind his cock against Shiro’s then back to meet the fingers thrusting inside. Yes, fingers. Shiro had pushed three inside him and Keith had taken them all with relative ease. The slick helped. And when Shiro’s metallic finger brushed over his prostate, more of that slick gushed from his ass, spilling over Shiro’s hand. Shiro whispered a soft curse when it happened, and Keith shuddered at the deep and desperate timbre to his voice. Again he rubbed his cock against Shiro’s shaft and when Shiro rubbed back, Keith’s belly clenched hard. He wanted that cock inside him. He wanted Shiro inside him.

But he couldn’t ask for that, could he? That would be going too far, irrevocably changing the bond of friendship between the red and black paladins. But deep inside, Keith ached. And he knew what would satisfy him. Before he could decide if he should fix his lips to say the words that might get him what he wanted, Shiro pressed hard against that bundle of nerves inside him, biting down on his tender nipple at the same time. Keith exploded, brighter and hotter than the star that had almost destroyed the Castle of Lions. He cried out once, but on the next breath he clenched his jaw together, preventing himself from calling Shiro’s name with a painful tenacity that almost cracked his teeth. Cum soaked his shorts while a river of slick flooded down his thighs.

 _Shiro was in the most exquisite agony with Keith writhing in his lap_. He wanted to lay back on the bed, completely undress them both and plunge his cock into the slick heat that gripped his fingers so tightly. Except they hadn’t discussed going that far. And Kolivan had warned him what would happen if he came inside of Keith during his heat, not pregnancy, but a permanent bond between them. Shiro needed badly to make Keith fully and completely his. Since he couldn’t, he did everything he could to give Keith the release he needed. All while holding back his own desire as much as he was able so Keith wouldn’t see how much Shiro wanted him.

When Keith cried out with his climax, Shiro raised his head to look at him. Pearly rivulets of milk trickled down his chest. Sweat made his flushed skin glow. It captured his bangs, holding them to his forehead. His eyes were closed so Shiro couldn’t see them, but he was satisfied with eying rosy lips parted for racing breaths to slip between. He wished he could kiss them.

Kolivan was right. Omegas in heat were a beautiful sight. And the picture Keith made in the throes of it caused his balls to draw up, sending a thick pulse of cum streaking up his cock. He hadn’t planned to orgasm tonight, wanting to make this all about Keith. But he couldn’t stop it. He was too aroused, too enthralled with Keith. With a deep groan, he pulled Keith’s hips in tight against him and came. In the midst of his climax, Shiro forgot himself and pressed a kiss to his friend’s chest, over his heart.

They rested there for a moment, Shiro’s hands now solidly planted on Keith’s waist as they caught their breath. Their cardio was top notch from training, so it didn’t take them long to recover. Shiro moved to pick Keith up so he could carry him to the shower. He didn’t want to wash away the evidence of what they’d done, but he figured Keith was probably uncomfortable and sticky. But Keith jumped off his lap before Shiro made it to his feet.

“Oh, my god.” His eyes were wide, bright violet with panic. “Shiro, I’m so sorry. You won’t have to do that again.”

“Your heat lasts for three days Keith,” Shiro calmly said as he rose from the bed. “You still have two nights to go.”

Keith stumbled back, away from Shiro. His foot tangled in the shirt he’d dropped on the floor and he reached down to pick it up. “I’ll handle it on my own.” Keith tugged the shirt over his head and escaped from the room.

Reluctantly, Shiro let him go. He knew when to give Keith space. He just hoped that time a part would calm Keith’s panic rather than increasing it. And when Keith calmed down, they would talk. Because what they’d just experienced was amazing. Shiro was determined to experience it again, except next time, he wasn’t going to hold back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by a wonderful piece of fan art I came across on tumblr. I can't tag it, as I was unable to get in touch with the artist, but I do want to give credit for the plot bunny. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally supposed to be a 2k word fic. But it clearly got away from me. Lol. So I'm posting part two today. The final third will be posted by the end of the week. Thank you for all of your kudos and comments. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. =)

* * *

 

Unfortunately for Shiro, Keith put lots of space between them. The next morning at breakfast, Keith wouldn’t even look at him. He avoided eye contact the day after that as well. The nights were tough. As Kolivan had said, by not satisfying Keith in his heat, he experienced unrelenting arousal. He stayed hard, no matter how many times he jerked off. And his body practically vibrated, desperate to seek out Keith. It was bad, but he knew Keith had it worse. Deep inside his cells, he felt the other man’s pain. He could sense Keith curled up in agony as he denied his body’s needs. Shiro couldn’t stand knowing he suffered. He went to Keith’s quarters multiple times throughout the two remaining nights of his heat, knocking softly so as not to alert anyone else in the castle. But Keith never answered, never let him in.

His heat ended, but Keith continued to avoid Shiro, rarely speaking to him directly. But as Shiro’s literal right hand, there was no escaping speaking to him during missions. That was the extent of their interactions. The silence between them was awkward, and the rest of the team quickly picked up on it. Shiro knew better than to hope no one would mention the tension between him and Keith. They were together too often for it not to come up, especially with all the downtime they had waiting on Slav to complete his part of their plan. It was Lance who finally cracked and addressed the elephant in the room.

“What’s with you guys? You went from hugging to – Ow!”

The pained outburst was a result of Pidge stomping on Lance’s foot.  Hunk cut off his shout by slapping a hand over his mouth. Although they both had questions in their eyes, Pidge and Hunk dragged Lance from the room. Shiro was grateful for the save. But he couldn’t let things go on like this for much longer. He turned to Keith to ask if he was ready to talk, only to see that he was already walking away, his head hung low. Frustrated, Shiro decided to go spend time bonding with his lion.

It was Allura who realized what was happening between Shiro and Keith. She’d been watching them closely, and one day a quick look of comprehension flashed across her face. Then it hardened in that new way it did whenever she looked at Keith. Later, she caught Shiro alone in one of the ship’s many hallways.

“This won’t affect Voltron.” It was a command more than a question.

Shiro assured her that it wouldn’t. “We want to finish this fight as much as you, Princess. We won’t let anything get in the way of us defeating Zarkon.”

Allura must have been satisfied with his answer because she didn’t bring it up again.

***

The work on the gravity generator continued. It was slow going, with Slav accounting for multiple permutations of multiple realities in the construction. And he wouldn’t let the Olkarians help, insisting that he needed to work alone. In the meantime, Keith’s heat returned. Shiro didn’t need Keith’s increasing belligerence to know it was happening. He could sense it rising, and his body hummed in response. The first night, Keith barricaded himself in his room. The second night things weren’t so easy. The lights of the castle had just dimmed, signaling “nightfall” when the long-range scanners picked up a small fleet of Galra drone ships headed their way. The paladins all suited up when the alarm went off, rushing to the bridge to meet with Allura and the others.

“We can’t let them discover our presence here,” Coran said, a slight edge of panic to his voice.

Hunk offered up his favorite suggestion. “We could wormhole out, then jump back once they’re gone.”

“No.” Keith shook his head. “We can’t leave the planet exposed. If those ships get close enough, they could see the teleduv and the gravity generator and report back to Zarkon.”

Kolivan eyes were locked on the monitor, watching the blips of the ships moving towards them. “You need to get them away from the planet.”

 Shiro agreed. “You’re right. Which means we’re going to have to fight. We’ll come up behind them, so it doesn’t look like we were here, them engage them in a quick battle to draw them away from Olkari.”

“You’ll need to do it fast,” Allura ordered. “Otherwise, you’ll meet them too close to here to avoid suspicion, and all our plans will be for nothing.”

Shiro nodded at the princess then quickly glanced at Keith. He was flushed and sweat dotted his upper lip, but he was focused. Keith was good to go, and so was everyone else. Shiro gave the command. “Everyone, get to your lions.”

By now, their routine was quick and smooth, and in no time at all they were wheeling their lions around to come up behind the Galra ships. The paladins immediately engaged, using mouth cannons and tail lasers to fire on the fighter drones.  The ships stopped their forward progress, turning to face the threat behind them.

“Alright guys, let’s do this.” He got confirmation from all the other pilots that they were ready, and they dove into the pack of ships. They darted in and out, attacking and retreating, slowly leading them away from Olkari so it wasn’t obvious that was their plan. By the time they’d drawn the battle a safe distance from the planet, they’d shot down most of the drones. The remaining few limped back to their home base.

“Let them go,” Shiro said over the group comm link. “We don’t want to stay here too long and draw out any reinforcements. Remember the plan. Fly away from Olkari before circling back.”

The skirmish over, Keith’s red lion flew in its customary position to Shiro’s right. From out of nowhere, a shiver of arousal raced over Shiro’s skin. His hands went lax on the controls as he realized he was feeling Keith’s heat, even at this distance. He opened a private line of communication to the red lion. “Keith,” he said quietly. “We need to talk.”

There was no answer. And after several moments of silence, Keith’s lion shot forward, becoming a red blur streaking towards Olkari.

Shiro lowered his chin in determination. “You’re not avoiding me this time. C’mon, Black, let’s catch him.” Shiro slammed forward on the accelerator and the black lion hurtled after Keith. Red was faster and had a head start, so Keith reached the castle first. But Black didn’t let Shiro down, bringing him into his hangar bare minutes after Keith landed.

“Thanks, Black,” Shiro said as he jumped out of the cockpit. He quickly stripped off his armor then took off for the paladins’ quarters. He heard a door sliding shut just as he rounded the corner. He didn’t let that stop him. He knocked once, then harder when he didn’t get a response. “Keith!” he shouted as he pounded on the door. “I know you can hear me. The whole castle can probably hear me. Let me in!”  He slammed his fist against the slick metal once more.

After a moment, the door slid open with a whoosh. Shiro quickly stepped inside. When the door closed again, Shiro reactivated the locks with a quick command. He didn’t want anyone interrupting them. Keith stood in the center of the room. He was sweating, shaking from trying to fight off his heat.

Shiro took a deep breath. He pushed the adrenaline from the chase back, letting the urge to take care of Keith rise in its place as he approached him. “You don’t have to suffer like this, Keith. You don’t always have to do everything on your own. You don’t have to go through _this_ on your own.”

Keith stubbornly stared him down for several long seconds before his shoulders sagged. “I don’t want to.”

That was all the encouragement Shiro needed. He tugged the upper half of Keith’s under-suit off, baring his chest. The bandages were there again and Shiro quickly unwound them, letting them fall to the floor. After that, Shiro’s arms went around Keith, lifting him up until his mouth was even with those red, leaking nipples. Shiro sucked one into his mouth and Keith cried out, wrapping his legs around Shiro’s waist. Praying he didn’t bump into anything, Shiro blindly walked them to the nearest wall, pinning Keith against it.

Frantic from waiting so long, Shiro quickly moved from nipple to nipple, sucking hard on each of them. He groaned in satisfaction as warm, sweet milk flowed onto his tongue. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the taste of Keith until he had him in his mouth again. In this position, Shiro was unable to stop himself from doing something he’d been resisting for months. He cupped both cheeks of Keith’s ass in his palms, squeezing and caressing the small, plump globes. His cock throbbed feeling that flesh under his hands. He wanted to play there, to explore deeper, hidden places, but before Shiro went any further, he had to come clean. It took an iron will to tear himself away from Keith’s chest. He waited until he had Keith’s complete attention before he spoke.

“You know this isn’t just me helping you. You know that I want you. _You_ , not your heat.”

Violet-hued eyes stared down at Shiro as Keith nodded.

“And do you want me?” A question, with a plea hiding inside. Tension hardened Shiro’s jaw, tightening his muscles as he waited for his answer.

Keith squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his head back against the wall. He stayed silent so long that Shiro feared he wouldn’t respond. Finally, he spoke. His voice was tight, the words barely escaping his mouth.

“I always have.”

The tension around Shiro cracked and floated away. That was enough for now. They’d discuss the rest later. “Kiss me.” He lowered Keith until their mouths were on the same level and waited. Shiro could have leaned in, could have initiated the kiss himself. But he needed Keith to do this one thing for him.

Keith ran his tongue over his lips, leaving the pink skin glistening and damp. Then he closed the whisper of space between them and kissed him. Keith’s arms wound around Shiro’s neck, fingers sliding up to scrape over his buzzed hair. They stayed there against the wall, kissing, their bodies so close, Keith’s heat warmed them both.

Eventually Shiro walked them over to the bed, gently lowering Keith to the mattress. He kicked off his boots before joining Keith on the bed to remove his boots and peel his suit the rest of the way off. Keith lay there, clad in nothing but a pair of tight black briefs. His erection was plainly visible, the cotton above the tip damp. Tucking his fingers into the waistband, Shiro dragged the underwear off.  When Keith was naked, Shiro took him in. His skin was pale but flushed, starlight kissed by roses. He let his eyes drift down to Keith’s shaft. It lay against his stomach, hard, deep pink, the head unashamedly wet. “You’re beautiful.” Shiro gently cupped the weight of Keith’s sac before stroking up the length of his shaft.

Keith gasped at the touch. His hips rolled, pushing himself closer to Shiro’s hand. “I wanted you to touch me last time,” he admitted.

Shiro leaned down and kissed him. “I was dying to do it.”  He slipped his hand back down between Keith’s legs, fingers skimming over his crease. “You also needed something here last time. Do you need that again?”

There was only the slightest hesitation to Keith’s answer. “Yes.”

Shiro nodded. “Good.” He lay down on the bed, face between Keith’s legs. The scent of his heat was strong there and Shiro was undeniably drawn to it. Using his thumbs, he spread Keith open, revealing pink, puckered skin. Shiro leaned in, licking the flat of his tongue over Keith’s entrance.

Keith jerked away in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“You need something inside you.” He licked across the soft skin again. “It doesn’t have to be my fingers.”

Keith threw an arm across his face. “Oh, god.”

Shiro fought a grin at that reaction before pressing forward. A moan rumbled up his throat as he captured Keith’s slick on his tongue. He couldn’t describe the taste, he just knew it set off a fire under his skin, urging him to seek more. Snaking his arms around Keith’s thighs, he held them close against him as he continued the deeply intimate kiss. Above his head, ragged breathing turned into sultry moans as Keith let himself enjoy the pleasure Shiro gave him. Keith’s thighs trembled against the sides of Shiro’s face as he thrust his tongue inside him again and again. Shiro was happily lost in the taste, feel, and smell of what he was doing when he heard Keith call his name.

“ _Shiro_.”

The anxious sound of his voice brought Shiro’s head up to see Keith’s small hands desperately plucking at his nipples. “I’m sorry. I’m not giving you what you need.” He was quick to correct the error. He rose up, bracing one hand on the mattress, leaving the fingers of his other hand free to take the place of his tongue inside Keith’s silky heat. Then he lowered his head and sucked Keith’s nipple into his mouth. He was greedy, sucking hard, then pulling back to lick at the nipple until milk ran free, spilling across Keith’s chest. He licked up every drop, before kissing his way across to do the same to the other nipple.

Although Keith allowed every one of his touches, moaning freely in pleasure, Shiro sensed that he was still holding back. But now wasn’t the time to address it. Now was the time to slide the pads of his fingers over that bundle of nerves that made Keith’s back arch as he cried out with his climax. His eyes closed and his fingers clenched tight in the sheets as his cock pulsed up, cum arcing from him in a pearly stream to land on his chest. Shiro watched every moment of Keith’s release. The reality was so much better than anything he could have ever imagined, that he wanted it forever burned into his memory. Once Keith calmed, Shiro gently eased his fingers free. Then he pushed his under-suit down just far enough to release his cock.

Keith’s eyes went wide. “Are you…”  

Shiro shook his head. “Not that. I just have to …” _Mark you_ “… get off. Please tell me it’s okay.”

Keith reached for him, brushing one delicate finger down his shaft. “It’s okay.”

Shiro shuddered at the light touch. It only took a few strokes before he came, splashing Keith’s torso, covering him – _marking_ him – with his seed. He couldn’t explain why he’d needed to do that, but he did. And he didn’t question the urge to put his hand, his human hand, in the mess and spread it over Keith’s chest. He just did it. Thankfully, Keith let him. When he was done, Shiro wanted to collapse next to Keith in the bed. But there was something he wanted more. He tugged his suit back up, and got out of the bed. Wrapping Keith in a sheet, Shiro swung him up into his arms.

“Where are we going?”

“My room,” Shiro said as he strode towards the door.

“Why?”

“Because it has its own shower.”

***

Shiro spent a long night satisfying Keith the way he needed. He drank his milk until his belly was full and warm, while fingering or stroking Keith to multiple orgasms. When Keith’s muscles finally went lax and the flush of heat faded from his skin, Shiro carried him to the shower. He set the young paladin on his feet, holding him close under the warm spray as he washed every inch of him. Shiro chose to forgo using a wash cloth, instead using his hands to smooth soap over Keith’s skin.

At the tender treatment, Keith looked up at him, questions in his beautiful blue eyes. “Is the bond from my heat making you do this?”

Shiro shook his head. “I loved you before all this, Keith. Your heat just gave me a chance to show you.”

Keith’s lips parted in surprise, but he didn’t speak. He just dropped his forehead to Shiro’s chest.

Shiro didn’t mind. He hadn’t offered his feelings with any expectations. Besides, he remembered how long it had taken Keith to open up enough to accept his friendship. He could be patient.

After they were both clean and dry, Shiro carried Keith back to the bedroom. He looked down at the young man cradled in his arms. His eyes were heavy-lidded with satisfaction and sleepiness, dark hair wet and slicked back from his forehead. There was a choice to make. Shiro knew what he wanted, but he wouldn’t force Keith into anything he wasn’t ready for.

“I would love if you slept here with me, but I understand if you want to return to your own bed.”

“I should go back to my own room.”

Disappointed, Shiro reluctantly moved to let Keith down to the floor instead of carrying him to the bed. Until Keith spoke again.

“But I want to stay here.”

Happiness curled Shiro’s lips into a smile. “Stay here then.”

“Mmmm.” Keith hummed with sleepy contentment, nuzzling his face into Shiro’s chest. “Can I have something to sleep in?”

“Of course.” He walked over to the bed to set Keith down first, then went to get clothes. Shiro gave him a shirt and pants made from a soft material that he sometimes wore during the rare down time they had on the ship. They drowned Keith’s small frame when he put them on. Shiro smiled in satisfaction seeing Keith in his clothes. He pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and they got in bed.

There were a few moments of shuffling as they figured out how they wanted to lay. They ended up on their sides, facing each other. Keith was obviously fighting sleep, and Shiro was tired too. But neither of them wanted to fall asleep without clearing the air. Shiro went first.

“I held back during your first heat because I didn’t want to scare you or make you uncomfortable. I should have been honest and told you from the beginning it was more than friendship on my side. I’m sorry for the deception.”

“It’s okay. I held back too. I was angry that I couldn’t control my body and too embarrassed to realize what I needed could be something we both wanted.” He paused for a moment. “Like tonight.”

Shiro smiled. “Tonight was amazing. But where we go from here is up to you. I can help you without expecting anything in return. We can share the experience of your heats together, like we did tonight. Or we can find a way to stop them. I’m sure at some point there have been Galra omegas who didn’t want to experience being in heat. We can track their methods down. It’s your choice.”

“Thanks for that.” Keith looked down, silent and still as he thought about what Shiro said. Then he crept his fingers across his pillow to Shiro’s, lightly resting them on his Galra hand. He raised his lashes, meeting Shiro’s gaze again. “I liked what we did tonight.”

Shiro was glad this was one of those times he was able to read Keith. The small confession was his way of letting Shiro know his decision. He slid his hand up the pillow, bringing Keith’s fingers closer. “Okay,” he said, pressing a kiss to the warm fingers resting atop the coolness of his metal hand.

The smallest of smiles whispered across Keith’s lips before it faded, his eyes sliding closed. They fell asleep that way, with Shiro’s lips still pressed to Keith’s fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for Sheith sweetness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did not manage to get this completed before the end of Sheith Week Unlimited. But I am still happy with where this story went. I hope you enjoy the last chapter.

* * *

 

They woke early so Keith could slip to his room undetected, and change back into his own clothes. At breakfast, Keith and Shiro walked in separately. As they sat down, Shiro didn’t think there was anything about them that would reveal the previous night’s events. But Kolivan’s face lit up with a knowing smile as he glanced between Shiro and Keith. “Good morning, Black Paladin. I see you have claimed your omega.”

All conversations stopped. Coran’s mouth dropped open. Keith’s face flamed bright red. Shiro was half way into his chair. At Kolivan’s pronouncement, he dropped into it with a heavy thump. And the paladins’ eyes went from Kolivan, to Shiro, and inevitably, to Keith.

Pidge adjusted her glasses. “Fascinating. I’ve been reading up on the Galra since Keith’s heritage was revealed – well partially revealed since we don’t know which member of his family was Galra or how much Galra blood Keith has and we also don’t know who Keith’s Galra family are so yes only partially revealed, but I started research anyway, and I came across information on alphas and omegas and how they bond.” She finally paused for a breath and grinned. “You picked a great alpha to bond with Keith.”

Lance’s eyes were still bouncing back and forth between Shiro and Keith. “Hold up. Keith’s an _omega_?” He paused, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “What’s an omega?”

Hunk stared at Keith, worry pulling his mouth down into a frown. “Doesn’t omega mean end? Does that mean you’re going to be the one to end this war with Zarkon? Or are you going to end us all? I’d rather you didn’t end us all.”

Keith shoved back from the table. “This conversation is over,” he gritted out from between clenched teeth. “I’m going to get started training. “Kolivan? Wanna go a few rounds?”

“I’m afraid I must decline,” Kolivan said with a slight bow of his head.

Keith’s frown deepened. He’d obviously been looking forward to getting a few hits in in retaliation for the atomic level bomb Kolivan had dropped. Keith stormed from the room, mutters that there’d better be a training level beyond advanced trailing behind him.

After Keith’s exit, the room was tomb silent. “Food goo looks good today,” Shiro said in an obvious attempt to change the subject and forestall any questions.  

Hunk beamed. “Thanks. I seasoned it with some amazing spices I found in the Olkari forest.”

Hunk rambled on about cooking, and eventually everyone else started talking as well. Shiro breathed a sigh of relief, and scooped up a spoonful of green goo.

***

“He is a great fighter,” Kolivan said.

Shiro made a short noise of agreement. He and the other paladins, Kolivan, and Antiok had all joined Keith in the training room after breakfast. Keith was in the middle of a brutal fight sequence with the robot. He’d discarded his jacket, but sweat still dampened his hair and made his shirt cling to the lean muscles of his torso. They all watched him as he moved like lightning, darting in to attack, then leaping away before the bot could retaliate. Finally, he delivered what would have been a killing blow with his double-edged sword. The training bot folded in on itself then dropped down through the floor. Wordlessly, Keith stepped to the side to let someone else have a turn. Lance stepped up, already boasting that he’d be able to beat the gladiator robot faster than Keith had.

Shiro turned to Kolivan. “Why are you avoiding training with Keith?” he asked the Blade.

“If I get too close to, or hurt your omega, you’ll become angry and come after me. Our alliance is too fragile to risk a fight. If you were both full Galra, it wouldn’t even be a question of allowing another alpha near your omega when he was in heat.”

That answer made sense. He’d felt himself bristle when he’d walked onto the bridge and seen Keith and Kolivan standing close together as they planned out their upcoming attack on Zarkon. That reminded him of something else he’d wanted to ask. “If we were to …” He trailed off, uncomfortable with what he had to say. After looking around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear him, he tried again, skipping straight to the point. “Can Keith get pregnant?”

“Ah, so you have not fully claimed your omega.”

“Stop calling him that,” Shiro snapped.

“This thing you humans do of tiptoeing around facts is strange. He is _your_ _omega_. But no, he can’t get pregnant. He isn’t a full blood Galra and you aren’t one at all. Your human anatomy won’t allow it.”

“Good,” Shiro breathed the word in relief. Not that he’d mind Keith carrying their child and _holy quiznak_ where did that thought come from, but the team needed Keith to fight and pilot the Red Lion. He’d needed that confirmation before he took things any further with Keith. “How did you know that I’d claimed him?”

Kolivan laughed. “Your scent is all over him. Your human friends eventually would have picked up on it with what you call your ‘sixth sense’ but I smelled it right off.”

Heat rushed into Shiro’s face as he remembered the many times he’d rubbed his cum onto Keith’s skin last night. Apparently showering didn’t completely erase that. He cleared his throat, and gave Kolivan a quick thanks for explaining things to him.

Looking across the room, he caught Keith’s eye. With a small dip of his chin, Shiro asked without words if he was okay. Keith nodded, answering that he was. Satisfied, Shiro stepped onto the training floor to help Pidge develop an offense to use against large opponents.

***

That night, Keith was waiting for Shiro in his room. A pulse of satisfaction went through him when he stepped through the door and saw the slight figure sitting cross legged on his bed. He wanted to go to Keith, to feel the strong warmth of him pressed against his body, but first he needed to ask him a very important question.

“Before we lose our heads tonight, I have something to say.” Keith straightened, looking at him with calm expectation. “This was sprung on both of us out of nowhere. We’re still adjusting to it, you more than me I know. But when your next heat comes, I want to make love to you. I want to be inside you, and not just with my fingers and tongue.” He paused, watching as Keith ducked his head, red blooming on his cheeks. “If I do that, if we make love and I climax inside you while you're in heat, we will be completely bonded.”

Keith looked up at him through his bangs. “Completely bonded? What does that mean?”

“According to Kolivan, we’d be life mates. It’s more than marriage. As long as we are alive, we’ll be connected to one another. We won’t be able to love or share physical pleasure with anyone else.  You’ll be my other half, and I’ll be yours.”

“Oh. That sounds intense.”

Shiro grinned slightly. “Yeah, it does. So think about it, okay? It’s a huge step and there’s no turning back from it. And I’d like your answer only when neither of us is distracted by your heat.”

Keith quietly agreed that he would think it over, so Shiro moved forward to join him. He tugged Keith’s shirt off, pulling him into his arms, and immediately sucking on one of his nipples. Keith gasped, and Shiro lowered his omega to the bed.

***

The next day, Keith sat outside in the cool forest of Olkari. He leaned against Red’s foreleg, thinking over what Shiro had said last night. He wanted to make love with him. And if they did so during his next heat, their bond would be even stronger than it already was. They’d be bonded for life. The thought was tempting. Finally having a connection to someone after so long on his own would be wonderful. A low, irritated growl sounded in his head.

“I know Red. I love our bond. Without it, I’d be dead several times over. I just meant a connection with another human. No disrespect intended for what we have.”  Keith grinned at the satisfied purr he got in response before he went back to thinking. He wanted that bond with Shiro, but at the same time he was afraid of it. He’d lost his family, lost Shiro once before, lost his place at the Garrison. He was afraid to try and hold onto anything because he _lost_ everything.

Keith leaned his head back, thumping it once against the cool metal behind him. “What should I do, Red?” She was quiet for a moment. Then images flashed in Keith’s mind. Images of him flinging himself into fights and danger without any fear. He saw himself taking on the Galra droids to protect Red. He saw his ultimately unsuccessful charges at Zarkon. And he saw his dogged efforts to reach Shiro before those beasts got to him. As the last image faded, Red rumbled a strong, determined growl. “Okay, I get it. The Red Paladin doesn’t let fear stop him. Let’s go find Shiro and tell him.” 

***

  _Shiro sat leaning against Black’s foreleg, with his knees raised and his folded arms resting atop them_. He was talking out loud to his lion, having long since decided it wasn’t weird to do so. “I didn’t ask to be the leader of this team. I didn’t even ask to be the Champion. These situations just keep happening. Maybe I’m _not_ a natural born leader. Maybe I’m just a happenstance leader. Is that why our bond isn’t stronger?”

He sighed, dropping his forehead onto his arms. He had to lead the others into battle, a seriously dangerous battle where any of them could be hurt. Or worse. He didn’t want to do it. But he didn’t have a choice. Slav was almost finished with the gravity generator, which meant they’d be going after Zarkon any day now.

“Still working on your bond?”

Shiro looked up when he heard Keith’s voice. “Yes. It would be too dangerous to go up against Zarkon without strengthening my connection with Black as much as possible. I won’t deny that I’m worried about what could happen if Zarkon still has any influence over my lion.”

Keith came over and sat next to him, mirroring his pose. “Hmmm. Would it make you feel better or worse if I told you I want to strengthen our bond? Make it permanent.”

Shiro turned so that he was facing Keith. “Really?”

Keith turned too, and they ended up facing each other. He gave a nervous laugh, but still nodded. “Yeah. Maybe it will help me find you if you disappear again.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He reached out and laced their fingers together, stroking his thumb over Keith’s leather-covered palm. “But I’d love to be bonded with you. And I can’t wait to make love to you.”

Keith ducked his head. “Do you think we could wait until my next heat before we take that step? I just want…” he trailed off, a flush climbing his neck.

Shiro finished his sentence. “You want us to bond the first time we make love.”

Keith looked up at him with relief on his face. “Yeah.”

“I want that too.” He tugged Keith forward at the same time that he leaned in. Hands still clasped, they met in the middle for a kiss. Shiro let the stress and worry he carried drop away so he could focus on Keith’s lips moving softly against his. In that moment of quiet calmness, Shiro felt a strong thread of connection to Black. The lion rumbled a purr of approval in his head, before withdrawing to allow him mental privacy as he kissed his lover.

***

They’d decided to wait the several weeks until Keith’s next heat before they made love. In the meantime, they weren’t celibate. Keith still had his own quarters, but he spent the next three nights in Shiro’s. They lay together, sometimes clothed and sometimes not. There was always touching and kissing as they learned what they liked.

Shiro loved to kiss and caress Keith everywhere until Keith let go of his reserve, his hands sliding into Shiro’s hair to hold him close and beg for more of his touch. Keith loved to straddle a prone Shiro, both of their slick shafts gripped in his fist as he worked his hips until Shiro whispered curses and filthy things that Keith never imagined hearing from Takashi Shirogane. Just last night, Shiro had pulled Keith down, whispered a blistering curse against his lips and said, _I can’t wait to have my cock deep inside you when you’re riding me like this_. At those words, at the picture they put in his head, Keith came so hard his head spun.

The group had already grown accustomed to them together. There’d been teasing at first, mostly from Lance of course. And Allura was still stone faced at anything that had to do with Keith. But they continued on with their training and plans to attack Zarkon without missing a beat. In fact, there was a new air of calmness to the team, as though Shiro and Keith’s bond had brought all of them closer.

That night, they were in the dining room, having what felt like a real family dinner, when Slav walked in to join them. The circles under his eyes were darker than ever and some of his limbs drooped. He fell heavily into a chair.

“The gravity generator is complete. It’ll be charged and ready to go in twelve hours.”

Silence greeted that brief announcement before everyone started talking at once. Shiro took charge of the chaos. “All right, you heard Slav. It has to charge for twelve hours. We’ll make any last minute preparations tonight and first thing in the morning we start.” He looked around the table, noting the various degrees of nervousness and determination on their faces.

Antiok stood. “I’ll try to contact Thace again. He needs to know we’re ready.”

“You should sleep, Princess,” Coran said. “You’ll need your energy to power the teleduv.”

Allura nodded. It was clear from her grim expression that she didn’t want to rest, but she got up from the table and headed to her room anyway. Coran and Slav finished eating, then left as well. That left the paladins and Kolivan. Everyone was too nervous to sleep, so they all gathered in the common room.

Shiro was talking to Pidge about tracking down her family when an unexpected prickle of awareness washed over him. He froze, his gaze immediately going to Keith. The red paladin sat there stiff as a board, his eyes wide. Shiro’s nostrils flared, and when he breathed in, he inhaled the scent of Keith’s heat.

He quickly glanced around the room. No one else seemed to notice anything was off. Except Kolivan. His eyes seemed to glow brighter as he stared at Keith. Before Shiro even realized what he was doing, he bared his teeth at the Galra warrior. Kolivan must have sensed his glare because those yellow eyes snapped his way. Kolivan’s chin lowered, gaze narrowing. In response, Shiro could feel the aggression rising in his chest as he stared back. His Galra hand warmed and he struggled to keep it from glowing and drawing everyone’s attention. For a moment, he thought they would come to blows. But after several tense seconds, Kolivan backed down, turning his head to stare out the window. The brief, silent battle over, Shiro returned his attention to Keith.

Keith looked back at him, his cheeks already pink, panic in his eyes. Shiro stood. He knew Keith wouldn’t want their friends to see him like this. As casually as possible he went over to him and tugged him to his feet. He reminded the other paladins to get some sleep, then left with Keith glued to his side. The second they were out of sight, he swept Keith up in his arms, quickly striding to his bedroom.

“What’s going on? It’s only been a few days since my last heat. I should have weeks before another one.”

Shiro didn’t know. And there was no time to try and figure it out. Keith was already arching in his arms, lips parting on a moan. And when Shiro looked down at him, he saw that the front of his shirt was wet. Shiro quickened his pace even more.

In his room, he set Keith on his feet. Before the door closed, Keith was on him, tugging at his shirt and pressing kisses everywhere he could reach. Shiro was already hard, his blood thrumming with desire, but he still tried to get control of the situation. “Keith, slow down.”

Keith shook his head even as he rubbed his body against him. “I can’t. I need you, Shiro.” He looked up at him with wide eyes, their smoky blue darkened to an alluring deep purple. “Please.”

With a groan, Shiro lowered his head to kiss his lover. He gave up on trying to gain control and simply went with what their bodies were telling them. They stumbled over to the bed, stripping off their clothes and shoes along the way. When they were naked, they fell onto the soft mattress. Shiro had thought that Keith was holding back during his previous heat. He wasn’t tonight. He writhed and moaned, tugging Shiro’s head down to his red and swollen nipples. Shiro took turns drinking from each, knowing it would give his lover some relief. Still, Keith begged.

“Please, Shiro. I need you.”

Shiro raised his head to meet Keith’s eyes. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.” With that spoken vow, Shiro moved everywhere: sucking Keith’s leaking nipples, kissing down his body, licking up his shaft, rubbing the pads of two fingers over his entrance. At his touch, Keith raised his knees, letting them fall wide open. Shiro trailed his fingers over the smooth curves of Keith’s ass, then pushed out to expose him. Shiro stared. He couldn’t imagine how that small, glistening pink hole would take all of him. He dipped a finger inside, watching as it disappeared, then came back out, gleaming with slick.

“Keith, baby. You’re so wet,” he whispered in awe at what his omega’s body was capable of. Another roll of his hips and a desperate sob were Keith’s only answers.

Shiro knew what he had to do. He gripped his cock, lining it up to that beckoning entrance. When he pushed in, Keith’s body easily accepted him. A shuddering breath escaped Shiro’s lungs once he was completely gripped by that slick heat. He pulled out, then pushed back in, gently, not wanting to hurt his lover. Keith sighed with what sounded like relief. “Better?” Shiro asked.

Another sigh. “Yes.”

Still rocking into him, Shiro leaned down to give Keith a lingering kiss. Keith wrapped his legs around Shiro’s waist, hands stroking down his back. As they moved together, Shiro sensed a change in the air. Something was building. Whatever it was affected him. His slow, gentle thrusts became harder, deeper, more urgent. Sweat dampened his skin, his heart racing as he started slamming into his lover. He stared down into violet eyes, feeling desperate himself. “I have to make you mine, Keith. Have to.”

His face flushed and glowing with sweat, Keith bit his lip and nodded.

That was all the permission Shiro needed. He tucked his arms beneath Keith’s knees, pushing them up to his chest. His small frame was folded up beneath Shiro’s bulk, completely at the mercy of Shiro’s pounding thrusts. This was more than sex. More than making love. This was him claiming Keith. And Keith not only accepted it, he _demanded_ it, using a two-handed grip on Shiro’s ass to pull him back in each time he withdrew. With each moan, each slide of skin upon skin, Shiro felt the connection between them grow. It swirled around them, growing stronger and stronger, until Shiro swore he could feel the echo of Keith’s heartbeat in his blood.

“Do you feel that?” Shiro asked.

Keith closed his eyes and nodded again, tears slipping from beneath his lids.

Shiro didn’t know why Keith cried, he just bent low, using his lips to chase the tears away. When they were gone, he pressed his lips to Keith’s. Salt stained their kiss. Salt from the sweat above Shiro’s lip. Salt from Keith’s tears. But the kiss was still sweet. Shiro wanted to kiss him forever. But his body continued to compel him to move faster, harder. As he obeyed the urge, Keith started to clench on him even tighter.  Shiro raised his head, and Keith’s eyes slid open.

“ _Shiro_.” So many things were said in that one, quiet sob before Keith’s head arched back in to the pillow, his release making his skin glow as warm and golden as the sun.  

“My omega,” Shiro whispered back. As Shiro watched his lover’s climax, he thought that he didn’t need the sun. Not when he had Keith. He would orbit around him always. He pressed in hard and let himself go, his cock throbbing as he came deep inside his lover. With his release, the bond, the feeling of oneness that swirled around them fell like stardust, a soft weight on their skin that made them a part of one another. No longer two separate bodies drifting through space, now they were two halves of one shimmering cosmic whole.

They stayed pressed together for several long moments, Shiro still inside of Keith, their hearts beating in matching rhythm. Finally, Shiro slipped free of Keith’s body, rolling to his side. When he did, Keith exhaled, and the blazing furnace of his heat gradually faded. They looked at each other in surprise.

“That was unexpected,” Shiro said. “It came up so fast, and it’s already over.”

Keith’s voice was low and hesitant. “I think, maybe, I just really wanted to be connected to you before tomorrow’s fight.”

“And your body made it happen for us.” He leaned in for a soft kiss. “I’m glad.”

They stayed awake, wrapped in each other’s arms all night. They didn’t talk of the upcoming battle, or any fears they had because of it. They talked of their plans for after the fight. Of whether or not they would return to Earth right away, or stay in space to search out Keith’s family. They talked about what foods they would eat first once they did return to their planet. And they made love once more.

When the castle lights brightened several hours later, they knew they couldn’t stay in bed any longer. They rose to shower and put on their under-armor suits. Once they were dressed, Keith leaned in close, pressing his forehead to Shiro’s chest. “I love you.”

Shiro stroked a hand over the black silk of his hair. “And I love you.” They stayed there quietly for a few moments, adjusting to this new world where they were in love as bonded mates.

When Keith finally lifted his head, his face was hard with determination. “Let’s go kick Zarkon’s ass.”

Shiro agreed with a grin. They left his bedroom, striding down the hallway side by side. He was confident they would be successful today. Their bond was strong, and they would get through this together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my first Sheith fic and for your kudos, comments, and bookmarks. I loved writing these two and I'm looking forward to writing more soon.


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